Jenova's Grandchild
by Writer of Roses
Summary: This is a sequel to Fire and Ice, and it actually starts on Fire and Ice's last chapter. Also inspired by Lady Blackmour's "Heir to My World." What happens when Riku's long lost father winds up in Destiny Islands?
1. Why Do Memories Fade?

(Arianna's point of view)

I thought I could do alright without him. In fact, I almost expected it to be easy. I'm not saying that I wanted to forget him, or move on to someone other than him. I'm just saying that I wanted to survive by myself. And for the longest time, I thought I was living extremely well.

Oh, there's no doubt I tried to return home early on. I would try going out the way I came in, but since I had basically no idea exactly how that was, I usually ended up humiliated, soggy, and disappointed with myself.

Then, when Riku was born, I pretty much gave up on my previous hopes altogether. I realized that I'd have to raise that beautiful little boy all by myself, and I was actually okay with it. He needed me, and my new purpose in life was to make sure that I never let him down.

For fifteen years, Riku seemed like a happy child, even though I could tell that there was an anxiety behind his eyes. A restlessness, the very same one I felt myself.

I guess that I put myself in denial, ignoring Riku's growing ambitions. But when he left, as scared for him as I was, I couldn't really blame him for trying to chase a dream that I had long since given up on.

A year passed, me growing more and more despairing the longer I went without my son's company. Then Riku returned, and I thanked Holy above just for having my boy back in my arms.

Everything seemed to go back to normal. That's why, when Riku came to me that September day, the thought never crossed my mind that my son's distress could have anything to do with _him._

"Riku?!" He looked as if he had seen the very face of Death. "What's wrong?!"

He looked into my eyes, his breath very quick, as if he had swum all the way back here from the children's island. "Mom, there's something I need you to see."

I wasn't quite sure what to think when my son paddled me out to the island in his little row boat. But I was instantly curious when I saw a little group of people huddled together on the sand.

There was Sora, Riku's adorable friend, his bouncy brown hair waggling as he enthusiastically told a story to his parents. His mother, my own best friend Kylene, seemed genuinely concerned at whatever Sora was saying to her. His father, Mika, was standing with his hands on his hips, a very skeptical look on his face.

Kairi was there, the bubbly girl that wound up here alone one night and had to be raised by the mayor. I knew the isolation she must have felt at first. Then she adjusted surprisingly well.

Selphie was there, and Tidus, and Wakka. I suppose I was the friendliest of all the mothers, aside from Kylene, because they gave me the nickname "Ari," which seemed to stick ever since they were old enough to speak.

Apart from Sora's parents, I was the only adult present, which I guess meant that the other adults had more important things to deal with than whatever was so urgent with the younger population today.

We got out of the boat, and stepped off of the dock, and hurried over to where everyone else was standing. All of their eyes were on us immediately, as if we were the life of such a little party.

"Kylene," I said, in total joking manner, once I got close enough to hear her speak, "Do you have any idea what's going on?"

She looked a bit confused. "I'm not entirely sure."

"Sounds like a load of seagull droppings to me," Mika huffed.

"It's the truth!" Sora admonished. Then he turned to me. "Ari, Riku found a body on the beach!"

My eyes widened, and I looked at my son. "Riku!?"

He looked as confused as Kylene had, but strangely in pain as well. He took my hand. "Come on. I'll show you."

Then we all walked into the little rock tunnel by the waterfall, us ducking our heads and Mika still bumping his anyway. I didn't really want to see this "body," but Riku seemed extremely upset. Upset enough to take my hand for comfort, which was extremely unusual.

Then we came to the hollowed cave just inside, and I, at the lead with Riku, stopped dead where I was standing. My unoccupied hand darted to my mouth in a gesture of fear. Could that really be who I thought it was, lying lifeless in front of me?

No, it had to be impossible. It had to be. I had finally lost control of my mind, and now my vision was distorting the very images I saw before my eyes.

My brain shut down, and I spoke his name without thinking. _"Sephiroth."_

"Mom?" I heard Riku ask, and although he was standing next to me, my hand still in his, his voice felt light years away. I let go of his grasp, and ran straight forward, only focusing on what lie before me. I fell to my knees beside the body.

It really was Sephiroth, his beautiful face still dripping with life even though he was clearly unconscious. I reached out, with shaking hands, to touch that face, and tears burst from my eyes the moment I did. He still felt the way he had so long ago, not aging a bit in his features.

I collapsed in an embrace of his body, not caring that I got wet and smelly. I just knelt there, holding him, sobbing with no control over my actions. It was him. It was really him.

But then I came to, just a little, and saw all of my friends and family standing before me, each one a little more astonished than the last.

Sora was the first to speak. "Ari, you know this guy?"

I laughed hysterically. "All too well, Sora."

Kylene gasped. "So, this is..."

"Yeah, Kylene," I answered, "he sure is."

"Mom," Riku said, stepping forward, looking extremely upset. "What's going on? Who is this?"

I sighed. There was no withholding the information from him any longer. He had already seen the extreme resemblance. I'm sure he had already guessed. "This... this is your father, Riku."

(Riku's point of view)

The string of gasps that went through the little group standing behind me only exemplified to me that my worst and greatest assumption had been confirmed.

When Sora told me what he knew about this "Sephiroth," I found it extremely appalling to think that the man could be of any relation to me. But there was no mistaking that I had never come into contact with someone so physically akin to myself.

I had to go to my mother for the truth, and sure enough, the truth smacked me in the face the minute she let go of my hand. I didn't like that at all. Especially since it seemed that the man my mother was still extremely in love with was such a bad seed.

"But, Arianna," Sora began before I could shut him up, "_how_ do you know this guy? He's never lived on this world, and from what I've seen of him, he's not the nicest of men."

My mother looked at him so strangely then. "What are you talking about, Sora? He's the greatest man I've ever met. And... I guess... I have some explaining to do about my life, before Destiny Islands..."

But then something happened that none of us expected. Sephiroth groaned, clearly coming out of unconsciousness. In a panic, Sora's father and I drug my mother backwards from him, struggling all the way, in case he woke potentially dangerous. I had already hidden the sword in a place only I knew, so that was not much of a worry.

"What's the matter with you two!?" she shouted. Mika placed his hand over her mouth, gently.

(Sephiroth's point of view)

When I was aware enough of my own body to realize the extreme pain that was racking every one of my bones, it occurred to me that I had absolutely no idea of my whereabouts. Also, I only remembered slightly what I had been doing before I fell unconscious. It filled me with a sense of chagrin that I quite detested before I opened my eyes. But, once I did, my curiosity and confusion overtook any other emotions I had previously.

I seemed to be sitting on a very uncomfortable, damp stone floor, and there was a small group of people standing in front of me. Naturally, I reached for my sword holster, but, when I felt that the Masumune was missing, my eyes flew open the rest of the way, my conscience perfectly awake now.

I considered everyone in front of me targets already, because they must have been the ones to steal away my sword, trying to catch me defenseless. Well, they would be surprised. That's when I noticed a boy in the posse.

His features were so similar to mine that my mind automatically played him off as one of Hojo's clones, but staring at him for awhile longer made me think that his genetics were almost too pure for him to be another experiment. He flinched just a bit at my gaze, not enough for anyone else to see but me, then tried gallantly to return it.

Then I saw that familiar brunette boy, Cloud's little Keyblade-wielding friend. He looked as perky as ever, and still as naive. "You," I mumbled to him, not bothering to hide the small bit of apathetic disgust I thought was needed.

He puffed out his chest in an aggressively defiant response. "What are you doing here, Sephiroth?"

A very good question. One I didn't believe I could answer. But I would not let them know that.

"Sephiroth!"

I turned my attention to the source of the voice, a woman coming to stand to the front of the group. She had a very pretty face, tender and aging well, and her eyes were of the most beautiful chocolate shade. But beauty didn't phase me, and it unsettled me a bit the way she was staring at me as if I was expected to understand something.

It wasn't half as surprising that she knew my name so well. Many knew my name.

"Sephiroth," she began again, taking a step closer. The strange mirror-image boy grabbed her arm in a warning. She ignored him. "I can't believe it's you. Where have you been all this time?"

I didn't like the fact that she was talking to me as if I was a long lost friend. She didn't seem familiar to me at all. So I voiced my opinion. "Who _are _you?"


	2. The Obnoxious, Unwelcome Tourist

(Arianna's point of view)

None of the gasps that sounded from behind me at that question were as great as my own. I had been a little upset when Sephiroth didn't seem to register my importance, but I knew his strange ways, and thought that it was just his way of composing himself. But, ever since I left Midgar, my worst fear had been that my fiancé and the father of my child had forgotten me completely. And that's exactly what he had done.

So many emotions could have overwhelmed me then: sadness, doubt, regret. Instead, anger seemed to steal away my control, and before I knew it, another river of tears was coursing down my face, and I was screaming my lungs out like a madwoman.

"What the hell are you talking about!? Who am I!? Who am I!? You should know exactly who I am, you bastard!"

Mika tried to restrain me, but I wouldn't allow it. "Nibelheim, The Forgotten City, Midgar!? Me living with you and saving your life!? Our engagement!? You're telling me you remember none of that!?"

"Mom!" Riku shouted in shock. I pointed straight at him, my eyes never leaving Sephiroth's.

"That's your son, you son of a bitch! Or are you telling me you don't remember having sex with me either!?"

He seemed extremely frightened of me, as if I had grown another head that was screaming at him with just as much intensity. But I didn't care. He really pissed me off, and now he was going to face my wrath.

Mika grabbed me more forcefully this time, dragging me backwards as I kicked and clawed to find my way out. I was screaming blindly now, my words hardly making intelligible speech, and when they did, all I could manage was, "I hate you! I hate you", targeting the man who had made me so happy and so sad all within a short expansion of time.

I screamed all the way out of the tunnel, Mika behind me dragging me all the way. Kylene followed us, scared and concerned for my well-being. The moment we were out and back onto the sand, I calmed, falling into Kylene's embrace and sobbing my anger away.

(Sephiroth's point of view)

I watched the crazy woman shout at me with a sense of shame that I didn't know I had in me. I seemed to be a school boy being corporally punished for something I didn't do. Well, at the rate she was going, my ass would be seriously chafed by the time I stood on my feet again.

Then she was dragged away, still screaming out obscenities and hateful speech until her voice was no longer heard. Then all eyes were back upon me, the silver-haired boy's as loathing as ever. I returned the glare, because, although I did not know him, I already had the strange, daunting feeling that I didn't like him. And that _son _comment... Just imagine if she were right.

Me. As a father?! I'd get a vasectomy before I let that happen. I didn't want to think of it, but - I had already deducted that he wasn't a clone, and there was no way he could be a cocoon of me, as Kadaj had been. After all, I was sitting right here! But the boy... he was so intriguing. Even though I already didn't like him, I was under the distinct impression that I could learn from him.

But I didn't really have time to ponder that. My main concern now was either finding a way to get out of this hellhole of a situation, or to take it in stride and give myself some relaxation time. I didn't know when I last took a vacation. And what better place to do it than at a cluster of sandy islands?

(Riku's point of view)

Sephiroth began to stand on his feet, and everyone except me took a step back. I wanted him to know that he didn't frighten me, and that he never would.

He had made my mother look like a fool in front of everyone. Now he was automatically in reasonable range for my hatred. So what if he was my real birthing father or not? So what if he seemed to be suffering from a serious case of amnesia? He had just treated the most important adult in my life inexcusably, and it would take an extremely long time for me to forgive him for that.

Now there weren't any adults in the cave. Just us kids, the six of us, facing this possible homicidal maniac. But I knew better; Sora and I alone had defeated countless enemies before-hand, and with all of us here... If he _did _try to get violent, at least I had the comforting knowledge that we'd be able to take down the jack-ass.

When he stood completely upright for the first time, I tried not to act surprised at his size. He seemed huge to me, about an inch over six feet, and his hair swept down to his ankles, even when it was wet, matted and tangled. That wing of his outstretched to its full length, taking up quite a bit of space and making him look all the larger. He was in extreme shape, and, even though I already hated him as a human being, his physique and demeanor gave me the insane urge to look up to him. I'd make a note of that so I could use it against him later.

Then he looked straight into my eyes. I'd never seen such a piercing gaze so identical to my own. And yet, this gaze was older. More experienced. More cynical. And in that moment I knew that he could twist me into a living belt to wear about his waist if he so chose.

I felt a little more intimidated now. Shit.

He smiled, a sly grin with no good nature hidden anywhere within it. Then he held out his hand, palm open. "I believe you have something of mine."

Double shit. Well, at least he was quick to come to the point. Before I could respond, though, Sora took a step forward, drawing way too much attention to himself. "And what makes you think we'd give it to you, you old loon?"

Sephiroth smiled even wider. His eyes still hadn't left mine. Triple shit. "Because your friend here knows that I could snap you like a twig if I felt the need, my bouncy little nuisance."

Sora laughed obnoxiously, but his resolve didn't seem as strong this time. After-all, it had been a year since we'd partaken in any sort of violence, and this guy was already making threats. "Yeah, right. I kicked your butt once before."

"Did my personality seem completely altered by your 'strength'?"

"Well, uh..." Sora closed his mouth. Sephiroth obviously wasn't at all interested in him, and he seemed so powerful compared to us kids. His whole being radiated a sense of heat. An intrusive heat.

I made myself known then. "If you're talking about the blade I picked up when I dragged you up here," I said with as much malice as I could muster, "then I'm afraid you won't be getting it back any time soon. I have to know you're trustworthy enough to wield it competently in a potentially dangerous situation."

He laughed, a hearty yet unkind, _booming_ laughter that shook my bones a bit. He rotated his hand, now having it face sideways, expecting something from me. "A smart boy."

I looked at him for a moment, realizing that he expected insolence in this handshake more than anything else. And I'd give it to him. I took his hand, much to the unhidden surprise of my friends. Then I gave him the same smile that he'd given me, showing him that I wasn't as much of a chicken shit as he thought I was.

'Watch yourself, boy,' a firm squeeze of his hand said to me. 'If I were you, I'd learn to choose my fights a little more carefully from now on.'

I squeezed right back. 'If I were _you, _I'd practice what you preach.'

Then our contact ended as quickly as it began, and we all stepped aside to let him walk out of the cave with us at his heels. It might not have been the smartest of plans, but there wasn't much else we could do.

Silently to myself, I cursed the irony of my situation. I had been dying of boredom only hours before. And now, my life just got a hell of a lot more interesting.

(Sephiroth's point of view)

When we came upon daylight, I squinted my eyes against the bright sun. The scenery was beautiful: the water was crystalline, and the sand was pure.

The crazy woman and her adult friends seemed to have vanished, possibly going to one of the larger islands I saw to the west. That didn't really bother me. It was less awkward this way, and I despised awkward situations.

"So," the Keyblade-boy began apprehensively, "What do you plan to do here without your sword, Sephiroth? There aren't very many ways to entertain yourself in the way you _usually _do."

I turned around to face them all, and opened my arms wide in a gesture of carefree insult. My wing flapped once to emphasize the gesture. "I think you'll be surprised. I'm easy to please."

I did need a bath, though. I felt like shit, my hair was outrageous, and I smelled _really _bad. Then the freshwater waterfall caught my eye. Bingo.

"You'll be staying on this island until we can find more suitable conditions for you."

I turned my head to the silver-haired boy. His words were in no way hospitable, but they made me feel calmer. My arms fell back at my sides. "That will do, I suppose." I wasn't much in the habit of saying 'thank you'. Then I looked more intently at him. "I don't believe I caught your name."

His head cocked to the side a bit. I could see he was tired of making eye contact with me. "My name is Riku."

I looked at the brunette. "Sora."

Then at the two girls. Hesitation. "I'm Kairi. And I'm Selphie."

Lastly, the other two boys. "Tidus. Wakka."

Then I yawned. "I would introduce myself, but it seems that you all already know who I am. I suppose that's _your _doing, Sora?" He snorted in disgust. What an excellent response.

"We'll be leaving now," Riku said to no one in particular. They all turned to him and nodded their heads. It was obvious now who the leader was. I smiled at that.

Then he turned to me full-bodied, preparing some sort of well-thought speech. I saved him the trouble. "Don't worry. I'm much too exhausted to wreak any havoc tonight."

He narrowed his eyes at me. I didn't really mind that he didn't like me or my jokes. "Someone will check up on you later on in the night," he said abruptly.

I turned away from him and started to walk away, calling back, "You're taking all of the boats. Where would I go?"

(Riku's point of view)

I watched him walking away hesitantly. I wasn't quite sure what to do, and his obnoxiousness didn't help my concentration either. But I decided that there weren't very many other options, so I motioned for my friends and I to walk toward the rowboats.

"What're we gonna do, Riku?" Sora asked. He seemed upset. "I don't trust him a bit."

I rolled my eyes in exasperation, after we had all filed in and started rowing. "I don't either, Sora."

Kairi frowned. "I wonder what this means..."

Selphie shrugged in her normal happy-go-lucky fashion. "I dunno. Maybe fate's trying to tell us something."

"Well," Wakka replied, "If so, dis is one strange message. Doncha tink?"

"Seems pretty simple to me," Tidus chimed in. Then he puffed out his chest and made his best impression. "You all already know who _I_ am."

We all laughed, my chuckle the most half-hearted. Trying to be apathetic was tough work. And Sephiroth's constant need to either ignore or add on to the severity of the situation didn't make anything easier.

I looked up to find that the main island was a lot closer than I expected. I sighed, wondering how Mom was doing.


End file.
